HOUSTON, TX — Two of the world's principal thought leadership organizations have come together with the aim of furthering environmental, economic, and social sustainability initiatives in the restaurant and foodservice industry. The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the world's premier culinary college and a prominent culinary research think tank, has partnered with ERM, a leading global sustainability consultancy, to provide restaurants and other foodservice organizations with the tools and services they need to approach and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability in a more scientific way.
Using the CIA/ERM team's Sustainability Management Assessment Restaurant Tool (SMART), organizations will now be able to systematically identify environmental, financial, and social elements of their operations where opportunities may exist for performance improvements, sustainability enhancements, and cost savings. The SMART system will also provide validated data for all three of these elements that foodservice organizations can share with their employees, investors, and customers.
The need for this data is compelling: over the last decade, numerous efforts by restaurants and other foodservice businesses to be more sustainable have gone largely unnoticed. According to a recent study (Source: "Marketing Sustainability" The Hartman Group September 2010), 93 percent of consumers say they want to be "sustainable," however, only 5 percent say they can identify a sustainable company. With SMART, foodservice organizations will now have the ability to understand and calculate where their sustainability "leverage points" are and to communicate successes utilizing a scientific methodology — vital for educating consumers.
Because sustainability touches many aspects of the restaurant and foodservice industry, the benefits of becoming more sustainable are significant. While environmental sustainability is a big part of "going green," economic sustainability is also essential to overall business viability. Restaurants and other foodservice organizations are expensive to operate, and unnecessary or uncontrolled costs directly impact profitability, making efficiency and sustainability key to surviving and thriving in a highly competitive industry.
To leverage ERM's extensive science and engineering expertise and the CIA's culinary R&D knowledge to further sustainability initiatives at your company, and to find out more about SMART, please contact Mark Curran at ERM (678-819-0667), Drew Mathias at ERM (404-816 6169), or Ron DeSantis, CMC, at the CIA (845-451-1615).
About The Culinary Institute of America – Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, and certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies. As the world's premier culinary college, the CIA has a network of more than 40,000 alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Michael Chiarello, Cat Cora, Steve Ells, Todd English, Duff Goldman, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The college has campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore. In addition to its degree programs, the CIA offers courses for professionals and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services for the foodservice and hospitality industry. For more information: www.ciaprochef.com.
About ERM – Environmental Resources Management (ERM) is one of the world's leading providers of environmental consulting services. The company has more than 137 offices in 39 countries and employs more than 3,600 staff. Committed to providing a service that is consistent, professional, and of the highest quality, ERM delivers innovative solutions for leading business and government clients, assisting them in managing their environmental and related risks. ERM has a well-established reputation as one of the world's leading providers of environmental management and technical consulting services. It has more than 30 years experience working with clients in the private and public sectors to help them address environmental concerns and challenges within their organizations. Its structure enables the company to assemble project teams with the best possible mix of technical expertise and geographic proximity to its clients' locations. For more information: www.erm.com.
Source: The Culinary Institute of America, Environmental Resources Management